The Kingdom Cyber Security Meeting successfully concluded its 4th edition Wednesday at the Mövenpick Hotel Riyadh. The event hosted more than 200 leading regional and international information security and cyber-defense experts, coming together to deliberate on issues that continue to challenge the business leaders of today and forces them to rethink their defense strategy to counter the persistent threat of cyber-attacks. As cybercriminals increasingly profit from brazen attacks, the corporation's cyber-risk strategy is under the microscope. As Riyadh gets closer to becoming a regional hub for cyber-security thought leadership, the 4th Annual Kingdom Cyber Security Meeting brought together promising figures from the public and private sector to address the growing concern over securing critical infrastructure against cyber-attacks. The event is a landmark annual event in Saudi Arabia that witnesses key government agencies and major stakeholders collaborate on issues like cyber-security governance and adoption of recognized information security frameworks. Although security experts agree on the fact that mere preventive measures are not enough to deter cyber criminals, Saudi Arabia has made substantial progress towards addressing cyber-threats. Asif Savvas, Partner at Simeio Solutions, said:" The Kingdom has recently initiated a number of digital initiatives to deliver services to its citizens. Simeio therefore sees the need for these services to be powered by one Digital Identity, so more of them can be delivered online. A number of public sector entities and banks across the Middle East have also been a target of hacks. This has affected institutions financially and eroded customer trust. We see our customers investing more and more in both Cyber Security and Digital identity". However, there is still much ground to be covered, all of which will require increased action and prioritization by government and businesses leaders in the Region. "Spain considers that ICTs provide immense opportunities and continue to grow in importance for the international community. However, there are disturbing trends representing risks for international peace and security. Countries should therefore cooperate effectively in order to prevent harmful practices in cyberspace". Said Ricardo Mor Solá, Ambassador at large for Cybersecurity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Madrid, Spain. "At the same time, the cybersecurity international market, one of the fastest growing markets in the ICTs sector, yields huge economic opportunities for small and medium-sized cyber-enterprises. The Kingdom Cyber Security Meeting was an excellent opportunity to explore experiences from Saudi Arabia and other partner countries in the development of public and private partnerships in this area," Mor Solá added. Manhal Musameh, head of IT advisory at KPMG in KSA, said: "In a rapidly changing world that is becoming more digitized, it becomes more critical to apply the right measures to protect organization's most important assets; that is the information. This is an ongoing holistic effort and should be seen as the responsibility of everyone in the organization." He further said: "We are participating to contribute in raising awareness for organizations in both public and private sectors and for the community in Saudi Arabia keeping in mind the increasing cyber risk and the changing technology landscape". "The Middle East region is rapidly growing and investing in several sectors, and the KSA market is one of the most growing globally with increased risks around information assets. Such events are important in spotting the light on cyber security matters and increasing the awareness about the related risks,". Musameh concluded. The 4th Annual Kingdom Cyber Security Meeting is organized by Fleming and sponsored by SecureWorks, KPMG, Cyberia, Attivo Networks, Security Matterz, PhishME, Simeio, Oregon Systems, Owl Computing Technologies, Tenable, ife, Infoblox, Nexthink, Malwarebytes, HP, McAfee and Enzar. The event is endorsed by ISACA Riyadh Chapter and in partnership with EC-Council. — SG
